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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27518008">of all the fairytales in the book, ours was my favorite</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetloves/pseuds/sunsetloves'>sunsetloves</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Superstore (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>6x02 au that shouldn't really be an au, F/M, simmosa, the proposal that was apparently so hard for the superstore writers to write, what amy deserved, what jonah deserved, what we all deserved really</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 05:01:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27518008</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetloves/pseuds/sunsetloves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"happily ever afters are a fantasy i can't afford to lose sleep after." </p><p>Or, where Amy's scared of marriage, but huh, maybe that dorky, pretentious, awkward guy she loves so much might change her mind.</p><p> </p><p>(basically, just what should've happened in 6x02)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amy Dubanowski/Jonah Simms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>of all the fairytales in the book, ours was my favorite</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi, hello! so, this is my first time writing for superstore and it's my first time on ao3 so if anything sucks in terms of formatting, i'm sorry! also, i haven't written anything decent in like, ages, so please excuse my dusty writing. i have just been overcome with a lot of emotion (primarily pain) since watching california pt. 2 and i simply could not have that be the end of simmosa hahaha no. so i decided to create an alternative and pretend that it's real :) yay for healthy coping ! or something. also marilyn, i'm sorry, but...</p><p>i hope you guys enjoy! and comments and kudos (i think that's what they are on here) are always very appreciated! :)</p><p>disclaimer: i own absolutely nothing that is recognizable in this story.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">All morning she's been panicking and stressing about whether or not Jonah's going to propose and whether or not she really wants that. It all feels like it's coming at her too fast, and she doesn't know how to handle it. She wishes she could take a moment to pause and just sort through her feelings and thoughts, but time is too fast for anxious worries and now Jonah's standing in front of her, hands overlapping one another in front of him and a ghost of a smile on his face as he tells her he's excited about their future together, his wonder and concern of why she's overwhelmed of it visible on his face.</p><p class="p1">“No. I'm - I’m excited too. It’s just - don’t you also feel like ‘arghh I’m drowning’?” she says with a nervous animated chuckle.</p><p class="p1">“Uh, mine’s kind of a pure excitement without the drowning part," he says, crossing his arms over his chest, hugging himself as if trying to shield himself from any pain that might come his way. He was still confused but now he also a bit nervous.</p><p class="p1">“Yes, just - “ She waves her hands in front of her like she’s trying to metaphorically erase all that she’s said. “Jonah, please don’t listen to me, okay. I’m just spinning out today. The truth is, I lost a ring and I, uh, I thought you took and I just, I got scared that you were, like, thinking about proposing to me and - “</p><p class="p1">“Oh. Wow.”</p><p class="p1">“What?”</p><p class="p1">“I just - I didn’t realize that the idea of, um, marrying me was so horrifying.”</p><p class="p1">“No, no. That’s - that’s not what I meant. I - “ She groans, putting her face in her hands, as she does when she’s frustrated that her words are failing her.</p><p class="p1">“Hey, hey.” Jonah pulls her hands away from her face and guides her to a chair. “Sit down.”</p><p class="p1">She sighs and sits, and Jonah kneels in front of her, still holding her hands. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”</p><p class="p1">She sighs again and takes a deep breath. “The idea of marrying <em>you</em> isn’t horrifying. The idea of marriage in general is horrifying to me.”</p><p class="p1">She inhales and then looks up at him.</p><p class="p1">“I just - I don’t want what happened with Adam to happen with you.”</p><p class="p1">She doesn’t equate marriage to love like everyone else does. She used to, back when she was younger, an idealistic teenager who couldn’t wait to marry the guy of her dreams and have a happily ever after so wonderful it’d make all the Disney princesses jealous.</p><p class="p1">And then she met Adam. And Adam was great. He was nice and sweet and funny. And well.</p><p class="p1">Then she got pregnant.</p><p class="p1">She wasn’t ready to be a single mom; heck, she didn’t even know if she was ready to be <em>a</em> mom. So, when Adam proposed in the living room of his hole-in-the-wall apartment that he shared with two rowdy roommates, she said yes, because marriage meant security and stability. And at the time, that was more important than love.</p><p class="p1">Not that she didn’t love him. She did, but then one day she didn’t and she didn’t even realize. Suddenly, her life had become too much and there wasn’t enough room for love to fit in. Adam was nice and sweet and funny, but he was also too ambitious and forgetful and unreliable. He was half-attempts and “I’ll do it later's”, which wasn’t going to cut it. So, Amy had to step up. Be the more responsible one. She had to put her own wants and desires aside and make sure her family wasn’t at risk of going hungry or becoming homeless, while also making sure Emma and Adam were happy and cared for.</p><p class="p1">She hated to think this, but it was true - her marriage had become a chore.</p><p class="p1">Her happily ever after was the once upon a time of fairytales. She was Cinderella, polishing and dusting Adam’s dreams into shiny gems while her own dreams sat forgotten in the corner, all tears and rags. She was Rapunzel, trapped in the days of her life, the same routine waiting for her when she awoke and gleaming possibilities far too out of her reach. She was Belle, stuck in a life she’d never wanted, caring for a guy far more than he seemed to care for her.</p><p class="p1">Except her once upon a time wasn’t just a once. It would be forever more.</p><p class="p1">And then this jester, who was actually a prince in disguise as time would reveal, waltzed into her life, unexpected, unprompted. He opened a window for her and for the first time in ages she could <em>breathe</em>. And then he opened doors and showed her the world outside the life she’d been living and suddenly, her days no longer felt the same, long and mundane. She no longer felt trapped.</p><p class="p1">Every day was a new adventure, was his unspoken promise, and he made sure to fulfill it.</p><p class="p1">He gave her the magic she’d been missing for so long. In her sky, he put the stars she’d forgotten to see. In her mornings, he gave her the music she’d forgotten she possessed. And in her heart, he gave her a four letter word she’d forgotten how to spell.</p><p class="p1">In the end, he told her, he had given her nothing. He had just helped her find what she had forgotten she had lost.</p><p class="p1">But like always, she disagreed with him. He gave her something. Moments. Moments of beauty. A gift far beyond any thanks she could give him. A gift she couldn’t bear to live without. She wasn’t ready for this moment, this moment of <em>theirs</em>, to end.</p><p class="p1">“I don’t want to lose you,” she says, the panic in her eyes mixing with tears. “Ever.”</p><p class="p1">“And you won’t. Okay? I promise. I am committed to you a hundred and ten percent.” Jonah pulls their hands together, his clasped tightly arounds hers, his elbows resting on her knees. “Ame, you are quite actually the best thing that’s ever happened to me, so trust me when I say that I have no intention of hurting you or letting our relationship fail.”</p><p class="p1">“I know that, and I do trust you. I do!” she says with a pained smile. “And yet I can’t shake this fear. I <em>want</em> to. Believe me, I want <em>so badly</em> not to be scared. All I want is to be nothing but excited about spending our lives together, because I love you so much. But then.” She sighs. “Then, I think of white wedding dresses and silver wedding bands and cheap wedding DJs and all I can think is ‘What if it ends badly again?’” Her voice shakes, trailing off into a quiet whisper.</p><p class="p1">“But what if it doesn’t?” he whispers back, looking at her with promising eyes, so full of hope and “It’ll be okay's” and “Trust me's”. “What if it doesn’t end at all?”</p><p class="p1">She offers him a hesitant little smile.</p><p class="p1">He looks at her, eyes serious. “Look. Marriage is scary, I get that, and I don’t know how our future is going to go, I really wish I did, but I don’t. But I’m like 99.99% sure it’s going to be great. And what I do know for sure is that I love you, more than anything, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And no legal document is going to destroy that. No legal document will ever destroy our love.”</p><p class="p1">A breathless laugh escapes her. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Our love is far too strong for a some social ritual to dismantle.”</p><p class="p1">“Exactly!” he says with a light chuckle.</p><p class="p1">They’re both grinning now, Amy more at ease than before.</p><p class="p1">“Besides, I mean we’re not really rushing into it, are we? We’ve been together for years and we’ve basically been married for the past two years anyway,” she says.</p><p class="p1">He nods in agreement. “Mhm. And I think we’ve been doing just fine, right?”</p><p class="p1">“Perfectly fine,” she agrees.</p><p class="p1">She looks at him in front of her, so patient and earnest, eyes sparkling and that soft smile lighting up his entire face. And suddenly she can’t fathom why she was scared of marrying him in the first place.</p><p class="p1">He’s Jonah, the guy who’s loved her since the day he met her.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who’s loved her so purely and wholeheartedly, in a way she’s never been loved before.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who tells her to be selfish and always supports her and cheers her on and lets her be who she’s meant to be.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who listens to her hopes and dreams and helps her make them come true.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who’s there with a video game queued up and a glass of wine in hand when he knows she’s had a long day.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who makes cinnamon French toast on Sunday mornings with Emma and hosts a dance party in the kitchen when Amy finally wakes up and joins them.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who sits at the dinner table until midnight helping Emma study for the SAT.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who tells Amy to go back to sleep, I got this when Parker wakes up at 3 am and then rocks him back to sleep.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who yelled in excitement when Parker called Amy “Mama” and then cried when he called Jonah “Dada” two weeks later.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who loves her kids like they’re his own.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who’s uprooting his entire life for her, because it’s <em>their</em> life now.</p><p class="p1">Jonah, who's good and wonderful and has such a big heart. </p><p class="p1">Jonah, who she can’t imagine ever living without, and oh, she hopes she never has to.</p><p class="p1">She had married Adam because he felt like she had to. With Jonah, there’s nothing pressuring or forcing her to get married. There’s no had, only want.</p><p class="p1">“I can’t wait to marry you, Jonah Simms” she whispers, a grin overtaking her face.</p><p class="p1">He smiles, that dopey, lovey smile of his that she loves oh-so-much. “I can’t wait to marry you, either, Amelia Sosa. Or, should I say Amelia Simms?” He smirks, raising his eyebrows.</p><p class="p1">She rolls her eyes, a playful smile on her face. “Not until we’re at the altar.”</p><p class="p1">“Fair enough.” He stands up and presses a kiss to her forehead. “I gotta get back to work, but I’ll see you in a little bit.”</p><p class="p1">She nods. “Hey, Jonah?”</p><p class="p1">He turns around, his hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”</p><p class="p1">“Thank you for listening to me.”</p><p class="p1">“Thank you for talking to me.”</p><hr/><p class="p1">An hour later, Amy finds Jonah in the stock room doing inventory.</p><p class="p1">“Hey! Guess what I got you?” She waves a blue shoebox at him.</p><p class="p1">He quirks an eyebrow and takes the box from her with a curious smile. “AquaSocks?” he asks with a bemused laugh.</p><p class="p1">“Yeah!” she says, biting her lip in excitement. “I wanted to get you moccasins, but the only pair in the store was covered in what I’m hoping is silly putty and not something from an animal. But, it’s an alternative! They’ll be great for California, I’m sure.” She beams, motioning to the box in his hands.</p><p class="p1">“Ah.” He smiles meekly. “Thank you.”</p><p class="p1">She knits her eyebrows in concern. “What? Do you not like them? If you really want, we could try to get the goo off the moccasins or we could try the Kirkwood Cloud 9. They might have some.”</p><p class="p1">“No, no, no. It’s not the moccasins,” he reassures. “They’re great. Thank you, really. It’s, uh - “ he breaks off with a sigh. “I’m not coming to California.”</p><p class="p1">Amy’s eyes widen, taken aback. “What?”</p><p class="p1">“It’s - it’s my mom,” Jonah explains. “John just called me and um, she’s - she’s sick. Cancer. Lung cancer.”</p><p class="p1">“Oh my God, that’s terrible.”</p><p class="p1">“Yeah, so um, I decided to stay and help her out. I know I should’ve talked to you, but I’m the only one she has here and John has to go back home tomorrow, get back to his kids and job and stuff, so it just - y’know.”</p><p class="p1">After Jonah’s parents got divorced, Marilyn moved to St. Louis so she could spend more time with Jonah.</p><p class="p1">“No, of course. I get it. You should definitely stay.”</p><p class="p1">“So you’re not mad?” he asks.</p><p class="p1">She looks at him incredulously. “No! Why would I be mad? You should be there for your mom. And hey, we’ll make long distance work. We’ll zoom-date and you can have your couscous and me with my Hot Pockets. It’ll be fine!” She places her hands on Jonah’s arms and smiles encouragingly. “We’ll be fine. Everything will be fine. I just hope Marilyn will get better soon.”</p><p class="p1">He nods. “Yeah. Thankfully, they caught it in the earlier stages, so the tumor hasn’t spread much, so hopefully, she’ll be in remission in a month or two and then I can come join you in California.”</p><p class="p1">“That’s great!”</p><p class="p1">“Yes! Everything’ll be fine! Together forever, baby!”</p><p class="p1">Jonah and Amy turn to see Sandra appear from behind the stocking shelf, grinning widely. Then, with a somber expression she says, “Sorry about your mom, Jonah. I hope she gets better soon.”</p><p class="p1">“Thanks, Sandra.”</p><p class="p1">“Hey, I hate to break up your moment - you guys are so cute,” Sandra says with a squeal, causing Jonah and Amy to wince in surprise. “But could you help me with the detergent aisle? Some lunatics got in a fight and now there’s a huge spill.”</p><p class="p1">“Uh, yeah. I’ll be right out,” Jonah says and Sandra gives him a thumbs-up in approval, before letting out another squeal about how adorable Jonah and Amy are and heading out of the stock room.</p><p class="p1">Jonah turns back to Amy. “So, we’re good?”</p><p class="p1">She nods. “Yeah. We’re good. I’ll be waiting for you in California.”</p><p class="p1">He smiles and squeezes her hands. He’s at the door when Amy speaks again.</p><p class="p1">“I’m gonna miss you, though.”</p><p class="p1">He returns her sad little smile with one of his own. “Well, if it ever gets too much, I'm guessing you’ll know where to find me.” He spreads his arms out, indicating to the store that’s come to mean so much to them. “I’m going to miss you, too.”</p><hr/><p class="p1">It's funny how when she came to work this morning, she was so anxious and fearful that Jonah would propose to her, and now, as she's leaving work, for the last time, she's so <em>eager</em> for him to propose. After they had talked, Amy looked out for any signs that might give away whatever grand gesture Jonah was planning. She had craned her head to look up at the ceiling so much today that she had an awful crick in her neck, and yet she didn't see a single glow-in-the-dark star. She thought he might do it after his segment of her goodbye video played, but he had just stood there next to her, an arm slung around her shoulders, and leaned down to say that he had filmed his piece before he learned about his mom and decided to stay in St. Louis.</p><p class="p1">Amy sighs. Maybe he wouldn't be proposing tonight. Maybe he was waiting for California.</p><p class="p1">She grabs her purse and looks around the empty office one last time, a bittersweet smile on her face. She would miss this store. Seventeen years, she had spent in this store, and now she was headed to California, working a fancy corporate job. Who would've thought.</p><p class="p1">She shuts off the lights and closes the door behind her. Dina told her everyone had put up a small going away party in the parking lot, so the store was empty as she walked through for the last time as an employee. With every step, she was reminded of a fond memory. Her getting drunk in the electronics section when they were locked in the night before her midterm. Marcus's thumb getting sliced off in the cafe kitchen. Cheyenne giving birth on the, let's be honest, not-so-sanitary floor. Jonah making her feel safe during the tornado. Glenn always encouraging her and pushing her to climb the corporate ladder. </p><p class="p1">Seventeen years. Countless memories. She's thankful for all of it.</p><p class="p1">She smiles as she steps through the sliding doors and then she gasps.</p><p class="p1">There, in the middle of the parking lot, is one of the white gazebos from their outdoor living section. Vines of fake pink and white roses twist around the bars, along with strings of white fairy lights. Surrounding the gazebo are all of her coworkers, grinning happily. And, she notices, Emma's there, too, holding Parker and beaming at her.</p><p class="p1">And then there's Jonah. In the middle of the gazebo. On one knee. A look of pure adoration and affection on his face.</p><p class="p1">Amy's heart swells and her eyes are already beginning to water as she walks to the gazebo.</p><p class="p1">"Hi." Jonah smiles at her when she's standing in front of him.</p><p class="p1">She lets out a shaky laugh. "Hi."</p><p class="p1">"So, I had this huge speech prepared, but Emma said it was too long and Dina said it was too boring - "</p><p class="p1">"It was," both Dina and Emma interject from behind them.</p><p class="p1">"It was full of terrible metaphors and cliches." Dina shudders.</p><p class="p1">"My readings for AP Lit aren't even that bad," Emma adds.</p><p class="p1">"Anyways," Jonah continues with a roll of his eyes, "I decided to forego the very heartfelt and meaningful speech, and instead I'll just say this." He takes her hand and smiles lovingly as he looks into her eyes. "Amelia Sosa. When I first met you, you didn’t believe in moments of beauty. Or you couldn’t see them, at least. So, I decided to create what I hoped was a moment of beauty for you. But that moment I gave you was nothing compared to what life gave me. Life gave me so many moments of beauty, because life gave me you and <em>you</em> are my moment of beauty. I walked into this store with the intention of finding nothing more than a decent granola bar; I had absolutely no idea I’d find the love of my life in this big-box store, too. Amy, you are the smartest, strongest, most hardworking, <em>sexy</em> -“</p><p class="p1">A lighthearted laugh escapes Amy’s lips as Jonah waggles his eyebrows, and he grins.</p><p class="p1">“ - woman I have ever met and I am so, so grateful that I have you in my life. I love you and I love Emma and Parker, and I love our little family. So much. I can’t imagine my life without you. And I desperately hope I never have to. I know it'll be a little while before we can, but I can't wait to begin the rest of our lives together in California. So, Amelia Sosa, will you marry me?”</p><p class="p1">He holds out a shiny diamond ring and looks at her with bright, hopeful eyes.</p><p class="p1">Her eyes are sparkling, not just because of her tears, but because of how <em>happy</em> she is. Her heart is overwhelmed with love, so full of joy and peace.</p><p class="p1">“For the rest of our lives, huh?”</p><p class="p1">“Yeah.” He smiles softly. “For the rest of our lives. What do you say?”</p><p class="p1">“A million and one times, yes. Nothing would make me happier than to grow old with you.”</p><p class="p1">"Aha! She said yes!" he cheers as he stands up. Everyone around them lets out congratulatory 'whoos' and clap in excitement. He smiles widely as he slides the ring on her finger and without letting another second pass, she presses her lips to his. </p><p class="p1">When they break away, she teasingly asks, "No glow-in-the-dark stars this time, huh?"</p><p class="p1">"Well, I wanted this moment of beauty to feel different than last time," he says.</p><p class="p1">"Well, then you completely failed," she says with mock disapproval. "Because this feels exactly the same as last time."</p><p class="p1">"Oh, really?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "<em>Exactly</em> the same? I don't remember you kissing an incredibly handsome and charming fiancé of yours last time."</p><p class="p1">"I'm not kissing one right now either," she says innocently. She cranes her head over his shoulder to look around the crowd. "Where's this incredibly handsome and charming fiancé you speak of? I don't see him."</p><p class="p1">He shakes his head, a smile tugging on his lips, and then cups her face in his hands as his smile meets hers. </p><p class="p1">They're broken apart by the boom of a firework. They look up to see the colorful sparks sparkle the dark night sky.</p><p class="p1">Cheyenne comes up to them, holding two plastic cups of champagne. "Congrats, guys!"</p><p class="p1">"Thanks, Cheyenne," Jonah says, taking the cups from her.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, and the fireworks are a going away present from me and Bo. We found a ton of fireworks at the dump."</p><p class="p1">"Aww, Chey, that's really sweet. Thank you." Amy rubs Cheyenne's shoulder. "And, hey. You know you can call me, right? For anything."</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, but I'll probably just text if that's okay?"</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, no. That's what I meant."</p><p class="p1">Cheyenne smiles. "I gotta go get some champagne."</p><p class="p1">"I'm still totally taking credit for the fireworks," Jonah says once Cheyenne leaves.</p><p class="p1">"And the air pollution?" Amy asks, quirking an eyebrow.</p><p class="p1">He presses his lips together. "You always have to find a way to ruin a moment of beauty, don't you?"</p><p class="p1">She giggles, leaning into him.</p><p class="p1">"Also, don't worry. We're not going to have some cheap DJ at our wedding."</p><p class="p1">"Thank God. Otherwise I'd have to breakup with you right here, right now."</p><p class="p1">"Haha. Not funny," he says with a deadpan expression. She just smiles cheekily at him.</p><p class="p1">They spend the next hour accepting everyones congratulations and sharing stories as the fireworks go off above them.</p><p class="p1">Sometime later, Amy's sitting on Dina's truck bed, an arm around Emma, who's sitting next to her. She glances over at Jonah, who has Parker settled on his hip as he leans against the back of a car and talks to Garrett. He senses her staring at him, and turns to look at her, their eyes exchanging all the unspoken promises and "I love you's" they don't have the time to say with words. He raises his cup in a silent toast. </p><p class="p1">She smiles and raises her cup in return.</p><p class="p1">Happily ever afters aren't just fantasies, she's come to learn. They were real just like the night and day, the sky and sea, happiness and sadness. And hers was just beginning. </p>
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